They’ve might look like a bit of cheeky fun but a seemingly harmless gnome could cost you tens of thousands off the value of your property.

New research from Churchill Home Insurance reveals an unsightly neighbouring property could reduce the price of the average home by £29,000.

The findings also unearthed that over three million Brits have been so offended by the exterior décor of a neighbours’ property that they tried to have it removed.

Of these ‘kerb appalled’ Brits, nearly half (45 per cent) were concerned that garish exteriors on their street would devalue their property, while 30 per cent wanted them removed because they found the décor tacky.

And those fears often didn’t go unfounded with over 2.5 millionBrits confessing they hadn’t bought a property in the past because of the décor of neighbouring houses.

Almost a quarter (22 per cent) of people said they haven’t yet, but would be deterred from putting in an offer for a home because of the exterior appearance of other houses on the street.

Decorations that are the most off-putting for new property purchasers are flag poles and brightly painted facades (both 38 per cent).

Other home decorations that would put off prospective purchasers include garden gnomes (36 per cent) and external decorative lights (36 per cent) hung year-round. Additional aesthetically offensive decorations include large garden ornaments such as statutes (33 per cent) and window stickers (24 per cent).

Martin Scott, head of Churchill home insurance, said: “When moving into a property, most people want to decorate it to make it their own, but if you are making any drastic exterior changes it may be worth speaking to your neighbours first.

“Anything that may affect the value of someone else’s home is bound to be a sensitive topic.

“Heavy items on the roof, or anything attached to windows or a balcony might weaken the house and its stability.

“If your home insurer is not informed, it could also affect whether you are covered under your buildings policy. Before changing the structure of your building, check with your local council in case you need planning permission.”

On the other side of the fence, so to speak, householders also discussed how they reacted to being approached by neighbours taking issue with the external décor of their home.

Nearly a quarter did the neighbourly thing and changed the decorations (23 per cent), while 17 per cent listened to the argument but made no changes.

One in seven (15 per cent) sought legal action to help fight for their rights to maintain their gardens and house exteriors the way they like.

Almost one in ten (nine per cent) admitted that, when confronted about their exterior home decoration, they added even more décor in retaliation.

In some cases, external décor has even escalated into a police matter; five per cent of householders who received complaints contacted the local constabulary to deter their neighbours from troubling them again.

What do Brits do when confronted about their exterior decorations?

Reaction

Percentage who took this action

I understood my neighbour’s argument and changed the decorations they did not like

23%

I understood my neighbour’s argument but did not make any changes

17%

I sought legal action to help fight my rights

15%

I was not bothered and made no changes

13%

I added more decorations in retaliation

9%

I moved away from the street due to the neighbours

9%

I ignored my neighbours

9%

I contacted the police to deter the neighbours from harassing me

5%

Source: Churchill Home Insurance 2017

More than half of Brits (53 per cent) decorate the outside of their property, with younger people (aged 18 – 34) more likely to have decorations than those older than 55 (61 per cent compared to 46 per cent).

Have you taken offence to a neighbour’s plastic flamingo or been peeved by a cheeky gnome? How did the situation end?